White Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba')
White Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba'), Hardy, deciduous late-spring blooming perennial Description: Heart-shaped pure white flowers hang loosely from gracefully arching stems Habit: Grows in clumps 2 to 4 feet high Culture: Prefers partial shade and rich, evenly moist soil. Plants go completely dormant in midsummer. Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 3 Origin Eastern Asia Although first described by Carl Linnaeus from dried specimens, this dramatic flower was not cultivated in European gardens until Robert Fortune discovered it in gardens in northern China and sent specimens to the London Horticultural Society in 1846. The earliest citation in American literature is from The Horticulturist in 1854, which described a specimen in a New York garden. The white form was first noted by Bailey in 1906 and is also considered to be a distinct cultivar, 'Alba'.Arrives in a 1 gallon pot.